Program helps Bay City area residents stretch their food dollars

Jesse Dockett | Times PhotoGerry Stieve, left, places a package of chicken into a box for Debbie and Ken Vennix during an Angel Food Ministries distribution on Oct. 25 at St. Paul Lutheran School, 6100 West Side Saginaw Road.

Members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bay City are spreading the word about a food program available to local residents.

Angel Food Ministries is a nonprofit, nondenominational agency that helps families stretch food dollars. The program was founded in 1994 by the Rev. Joseph Wingo and his wife, Linda, of Good Hope, Ga., and now serves people in 35 states.

There are no income qualifications to purchase food.

A box that contains New York strip steak, split chicken breasts, baby-back ribs, chicken chunks, beef patties with gravy, ground turkey, frozen vegetables, peanut butter and various other items costs $30, said Nancy Sinn, program host director at St. Paul Lutheran School, 6100 West Side Saginaw Road, a distribution site for the food.

Food is purchased from General Mills, ConAgra, Pilgrim's Pride, Nestle, Tyson Foods and other companies.

"The quality is very good, no seconds or outdated items," Sinn said.

Also available is a senior box that contains 10 nutritionally balanced, fully cooked meals developed with the dietary needs of senior citizens in mind.

Angel Food Ministries is able to price food economically because items are bought in large quantities, Sinn said.

The agency works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and accepts food stamps, Sinn said.

To order food, visit a host site, fill out an order form and pay. The food will be ready for pick-up two weeks later.

To find out more about the program, or to view a menu and a list of other host sites, visit the Web site www.angelfoodministries.com or contact St. Paul Lutheran Church at 686-7140 or 671-3708.

"We have reached out to so many people and with the holidays fast approaching this would be a great gift for those who can afford it to give as a gift to those in need," Sinn said.